Fluidic counter device

ABSTRACT

The present invention is to provide an improved fluidic counter device, wherein, instead of conventional devices a pair of suction openings is newly employed at the junction, so that more stable characteristics are obtainable.

United States Patent 1 1 Hanada et a1.

1 1 FLUlDlC COUNTER DEVICE I [75] Inventors: KeiichiHanada;KimihikoSaito;-

' Akikazu Iwase, all of Tokyo, Japan [73 Assignee: Meidensha Electric Mffco. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan 1 22 Filed: Mar. 22,19'71 21 Appl. No.: 126,665

[30] ForeignApplication Priority Data 11 3,739,979 June 19, 1973 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,562,507 2/1971 Kantola 235/201PF 3,339,569 9/1967 3,114,390 12/1963 3,193,197 7/1965 Bauer 235/201Primary ExaminerStephen J. Tomsky Assistant Examiner-Lawrence R.Franklin AttorneyClario Ceccon [5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention isto provide an improved fluidic counter device, wherein, instead ofconventional devices a pair of suction openings is newly employed at thejunction, so that more stable characteristics are obtainable. 1

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures Fl G. 1

PRIOR ART FIG. 2

FLUIDIC COUNTER DEVICE The present invention relates to an improvedfluidic counter and, more particularly a fluidic counter device havingmore stable characteristics.

Fluidic counter devices have been used for providing two alternateoutputs with one input, and a binary scale fluidic counter device can bemade by connecting a number of the fluidic counter devices together.

A conventional fluidic counter device has been unstable in operation anddifficult to manufacture, because the device must be provided with anaccurately formed throttle in the passages in order to generate aproperly circulating flow.

Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide an improved fluidiccounter device of more stable characteristics, which can be operated byair. Another object of the invention is to provide a new fluidic counterdevice in which the described disadvantages of the prior art areremoved.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedfluidic counter device in which an accurate circulating control fluidflow is obtainable and the circulating control fluid flow can be exactlyreversed, so that more accurate change operations are obtainable,together with comparison with a conventional device.

Now, this invention will be better understood in the followingexplanations in reference to accompanied drawings.

In the drawing FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a pneumatic orhydraulic fluidic counter device according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan of a fluidic counter device according to thisinvention.

In the conventional pneumatic or hydraulic counter device, shown in FIG.1 a pressurized medium is introduced from an inlet 1 and passes throughalong either wall 2 to the right output or wall 3 tothe left output. Asmall amount of the pressurized medium will flow through passage formingan auxiliary flow pattern. The passages for the auxiliary flow areformed in the shape of a heart and when the main flow is through passage2 the auxiliary circular flow is in anti-clockwise direction as shown inan FIG. I by virtue of the reduced pressure in 4 as the pressurizedmedium flows past said passages. In this case, the auxiliary circularflow is not strong enough to change the flow direction of the main flowpattern from the side 2 to side 3.

If a short control pulse is introduced from the opening 6, the controlpulse flow is guided in the circulating path by the auxiliary flow. Witha greater pressure now generated within the control input 4, saidpressure causes the pressurized medium flow to change the flow directionto the left wall 3. After the switching of the main flow to wall 3, thereduced pressure will take place in 5, and accordingly, in theheart-shaped passages the direction of circulating flow of the auxiliaryflow is reversed. However, if a new control pulse flow is supplied fromthe opening 6, the pressurized medium flow return back to the previousposition again. The above mentioned conventional fluidic counter deviceis inaccurate in operation since it is dependent on accuratelydimensioned parts.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the details of the presentinvention. In the fluidic counter device according to this invention, anopening 12 for introducing a slightly pressurized control bias fluidinto said device, is connected with a heart-shaped control inputpassages 10, 1 l and said passages introduces the slightly pressurizedcontrol bias fluid from said opening 12 into the auxiliary circulatingflow. At the junction joining the opening 12 with the passages 10, 11,the opening 12 is also connected with suction openings 13, 14 forcontrol. These openings 13, 14 provide an assisting flow in the form ofa suction stream to change the direction of the circulating flow of theslightly pressurized control bias fluid introduced into saidheart-shaped control input passages. The control pulse signal is alsointroduced into input 12. An inlet 7 provides the main fluid flow intothe fluidic counter device, and is connected with output passages 8, 9as well as the circulating flow passages 10, 11 at the junction joiningthe opening 7 with the output passages 8, 9.

In operation, a slight flow Ps is introduced through an opening 12. Whena control signal in the form of a pulse is provided through the opening12 for control signals, it follows the circulating flow in ananticlockwise direction in the heart-shaped passages. Where the mainflow is applied through the opening 7, this main flow, by means of theaction of said circulating flow, is biased to the left side wall.

When the control pulse is applied the following phenomena happens. Thatis, where the pressure of the applied control pulse flow is greater thanthe slight flow pressure the pressure at the opening 13 is reduced, thecirculating flow within the heart-shaped passages is reversed and movedclockwise by virtue of lower pressure vortex caused by the contiguity ofthe flow of the environmental air through the suction port 13.

The control pulse having a greater pressure than the slight flow Psproduces a greater suction at the suction tube 13. As the pulse proceedsalong 10, the suction force causes environmental air to flow through thetube 13 toward the junction with 12. When the slight flow Ps continues,the air sucked in through 13 will cause the circulating flow in theheart-shaped chambers to reverse direction.

In the fluidic counter device according to this invention, in comparisonwith the known device according to the prior art shown in FIG. 1, thedirectional change of the main flow from the opening 7 can be attainableby the change of the circulating flow within the heartshaped passages,and besides, the direction of the circulating flow 7 through theheart-shaped passages is changed by the pressure reduction from thepulse flow from the opening 12 utilizing of a suction flow from thepassage 13 or 14 on the suction contiguous side. Therefore, lesscirculating flow is effective enough and thus can be accuratelyreversed, so that more accurate change operations are obtainable.

We claim: I

l. A fluidic counter device comprising:

a. a pressure medium inlet opening;

b. at least two outlet passages communicating with the pressure mediuminlet opening;

0. a loop passage communicating with said pressure medium inlet openingso as to direct said pressure medium to flow into one of the outletpassages;

d. a single control inlet opening communicating with said loop passageat a junction for applying a continuous low pressure bias flow tomaintain a continuous flow within said loop passage and an intermittenthigh pressure control pulse to the loop passage the loop passage and thesingle control pulse inlet to direct the medium flow; and opening andhaving a flow of environmental fluid e. a pair of suction ports leadingfrom the environonly into the junction.

ment in opposite directions to the junction between

1. A fluidic counter device comprising: a. a pressure medium inletopening; b. at least two outlet passages communicating with the pressuremedium inlet opening; c. a loop passage communicating with said pressuremedium inlet opening so as to direct said pressure medium to flow intoone of the outlet passages; d. a single control inlet openingcommunicating with said loop passage at a junction for applying acontinuous low pressure bias flow to maintain a continuous flow withinsaid loop passage and an intermittent high pressure control pulse to theloop passage to direct the medium flow; and e. a pair of suction portsleading from the environment in opposite directions to the junctionbetween the loop passage and the single control pulse inlet opening andhaving a flow of environmental fluid only into the junction.